What Heroes Do
by Could be more Original
Summary: No Romance, I disapprove of it. Sequel to 'The Return Of The Heroes'. Chapter 6 is up. Read this lastest chappy to find out whose messing with our heroine's head. Rated for the bit of gore in the front and the few terms in chap 3.DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

Time: 3months after 'The Return of Heroes'

Setting: World Regenesis Organization (WRO) headquarters.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy 7(DUH!). However, the OC and the plot are my own creations. XD _silver lining_…

* * *

Chapter 1 

_**Fulfilling Obligations**_

_The sound of thunder boomed overhead. Angry storm clouds loomed above the suburbs. In the streets, the pedestrians scurried in every which way, trying to find shelter before the rains came. Women hurried to bring in the laundry and the children were told to come in as the tang of wetness foretelling the coming downpour was already present in the odorous city air._

_By the sidewalk, street hawkers hastily pack up their stalls, pushing them into the sheltered areas in front of the shops where the pedestrians were congregating. But the rains never came. A daunting silence descended upon the city folk as the howling winds suddenly ceased. Hat-wearers clung tighter still to their hats for fear of trickery._

_A few brave souls peered from under their shelter and from behind closed curtains. They saw that in the distance, a foreboding darkness was working its way towards them at a rapid pace. It cascaded through the sky and the angry storm clouds were quickly swallowed by the black menace. The street lamps blinked to life but they offered no warmth against the great chill and cold fear which now descended upon the inhabitants of that community. The children started to cry and several adults could now be seen running away from the scene, screaming, terror-stricken._

_A white wave of energy reverberated through the area from the same direction as the darkness, splitting the buildings and structures in its path. This was followed by another, then another, sending the crowd into a panic frenzy. Soon, everyone was screaming and running in all directions. Those fortunate enough not to be crushed by the falling debris were trampled underfoot. The city, in all its grandeur, was reduced to a crumbling pile of rubble._

_The scene abruptly changed. Scarlet flames erupted in a pitch black environment. A thousand bodies appeared within those flames, writhing in agony as the flames licked eagerly at their sides. The air was filled with the stench of burnt flesh. Their faces were frozen in a silent scream._

_The scene changed once more. A lone warrior stood atop a mountain of fresh corpses with his face plastered in a malicious sneer. His eyes glowed an electric blue and his unruly auburn hair was wet with preparation. His armor and blade were stained, dripping with blood. He arched his back and a maniacal laughter chimed through the air._

* * *

"NO…!" Dark eyes flew open as Bernice Talwin abruptly sat up in her bed. A glance at the digital clock which hung on the wall told her that it was three in the morning. She sighed and made a quick evaluation of her surroundings. The white woolen blanket and pillow strewn on the carpeted floor revealed that she had been thrashing in her sleep…_again._

She shut her eyes and rubbed her face with her palms. Her skin felt cold and clammy to the touch. She bit her lip and found that the cold sweat held no taste.

Sighing heavily, she allowed herself to fall back onto her bed. _'CLONK'_ Pain erupted in her cranium where her head made contact with the metallic bed head. Instinctively, her hand went to massage her newly acquired sore. Cursing under her breath, she reluctantly got to her feet.

The pillow and blanket were hastily retrieved, and out of habit, the bed was neatly made. She trudged sleepily to the bathroom where her customary cold shower awaited.

Feeling slightly more refreshed after the shower, she gathered her coal-black hair into a single braid and donned a pair of long black pants, a maroon colored long-sleeved turtleneck and a long black sleeveless coat. As she pulled on her black leather gloves and shoes, her eyes scanned her bedroom.

The light of the full moon filtered through her window, casting the sharp silhouettes of her metallic furniture onto the metallic walls. It reflected off the ivory-white casing of her cell phone atop her bedside table and glinted off its silver engravements featuring a phoenix rising from a field of lilies.

Bernice buckled on her sword belt. She smiled slightly as she caressed _Spirit_—her gun-blade. A soft glow radiated from the silver and white gun-blade as it caught the moonlight. Spirit bore the same engravements as her phone along its slender blade. She fingered the design fondly. Her phone and gun-blade were her most prized possessions, being gifts she had received when she had first arrived on Gaia. She holstered Spirit and pocketed her cell before leaving the room.

* * *

The shooting range on the eastern side of the WRO headquarters had become one of her favorite haunts ever since the nightmares started, three months ago. These nightmares, which have become increasingly common over the past few weeks, have been depriving her of a proper night's sleep essential for a young warrior in training—a fact that which had become frightfully obvious in her marksmanship. 

She fired several rounds. The bullets tore through the air and found their mark upon the cardboard target at the far end of the range. She stifled her frustration after retrieving the target. _Five sets of holes… That would definitely put Vincent in a fix. _On that note, her eyes searched the shadows. _Nothing. _She reminded herself that, her mentor, Vincent Valentine, was likely to be on yet another mission for the WRO. Not surprising since Gaia was once more on the verge of an all-out war. Besides, all her training sessions had ceased when the fact became evident, though she reasoned that it was also because she didn't need them as often anymore. She had proved as much during her first mission. She frowned slightly. The thought of that event still left her feeling insecure, despite the somewhat happy ending.

* * *

_Hours later…_

She sat with her forehead resting in the cup of her palm, waiting. It was nearly 9 in the morning and the mess hall was empty save for the janitor who was cleaning up the residual mess left by the resident WRO operatives at breakfast. The soft classical music wafting through the speakers were only interrupted by the occasional sloshing and splashing made when the janitor drained the excess water from the mop.

All in all, the mess hall provided an excellent refuge from the regular hustle and bustle of the headquarters. And with the nightmares plaguing her in her sleep and the dread of the inevitable confrontation nagging at her every waking hour, she needed it.

The presence of giggles and the pitter patter of feet in the corridor alerted her of the arrival of her charges.

Marlene and Denzel rounded the corner and turned into the mess hall. Having heard them a minute before they arrived, Bernice took the liberty of positioning herself just beside the doorway.

"I win!" Marlene panted.

Denzel pouted, "You just got lucky."

She stuck her tongue out at him before scanning the mess hall. "Where is she?"

"Both of you should have been here ages ago." Bernice said in an irritable tone, making both children jump. Grinning with satisfaction, she surveyed the precautious duo. They definitely seemed winded, which probably meant that they'd raced to the mess from the other side of the headquarters. She glanced at their hands and their shoes. Dirt, still damp, could be found underneath their fingernails. A few broken blades of grass clung to their muddy shoes. She narrowed her eyes. "You two were goofing off in the garden again?"

They averted their eyes from hers. There would be no lying their way out of this one. Both of them nodded.

She sighed. "Go clean up, then headed for the study. You've already lost an hour of your reading time." She handed them a couple of bags of sandwiches, which they meekly accepted before nodding and leaving. Both still taking great care to avoid her eyes.

* * *

Leaning against the wall, she sighed again. Sometimes it was hard to believe that those two, despite who their caretakers were and what they'd been through, could be so undisciplined. 

She recalled when Tifa had put Marlene and Denzel in her charge. It was only a couple of days after their escape from Genesis's clutches. After hearing about who they were up against, Commissioner Tuesti began sending Cloud and the others on separate missions every now and then. Even the WRO soldiers she knew would move in and out of the headquarters regularly. 'Keep an eye on them for me', Tifa had said. She had, of course, consented, although she did feel just a little disappointed at being made a babysitter after all that had happened. However, she came to appreciate the fact that Tifa and the gang were entrusting her with the two people which meant the most to them. A fact which had become evident when Barret himself came up to her to tell her to 'keep Marlene safe' while he was gone before leaving on his own mission. His goodbye to his daughter had also been (somewhat) heartfelt, and Bernice had smiled at that. Later, she had also reasoned that they were probably attempting to 'keep her busy' (for more than one reason) while they were away.

* * *

In the study, Bernice, Marlene and Denzel sat at a long table. Several books as well as a stack of WRO newsletters lay strewn atop the polished wood. They each held a book in their hands. Bernice had asked them to read and understand a page in the books they had chosen. She would have them recite and explain some of the passages on those pages later on. 

Presently, Denzel set his book down and began poking Marlene's arm. The nine-year-old squirmed in irritation whilst trying to resume her reading. Her eyes remained glued on the words, but her face was wrinkled with the effort to keep herself from screaming at her adopted brother.

Bernice lifted her gaze from her book and said casually, "Denzel, quit poking her arm. I can guarantee it's going to feel the same no matter how many times you do it." She paused, and then added, "Besides, if you're done, you could've just told me so. We're all eager to hear what you've been reading about."

He took the hint. Grudgingly, he went back to his own reading.

Bernice stared fixatedly at the book in the hands. However, the words didn't register. Her mind wandered off to the first day she had (more or less) endured with the kids. Hidden behind the paperback reference book, a smile crept across her otherwise serene visage. The start of their relationship had been a rocky one, to say the least…

_They were in the lobby. Tifa gave her a hug before turning to the two children who stood quietly by one of the huge columns. She drew them into a loving embrace. Upon letting go, she told them to be good and that she would be back soon. Before leaving, she offered Bernice a curt nod and her trademark reassuring smile._

_And that was it. From that moment onwards, the two children whom she knew hardly anything about became her responsibility. They spent a moment staring at each other, as if sizing each other up. Being in foster care, Bernice Talwin was not without any experience in caring for kids who were more or less their age. And experience dictated that handling kids was a tough gig._

_At length, she mustered a warm smile and offered her hand. "Hey," she began._

_Both children glared daggers at her. "Who are you supposed to be?" the boy retorted._

_Feeling rather taken aback at their response, her hand had quickly dropped to her side. The smile, however, was still firmly plastered on her face. 'Tifa had said that they were well-behaved angels…' she thought to herself. It was a good thing the last two years of intense training had instilled in her, a strong sense of self-control. "My name is Bernice Talwin. I've been asked to watch you while the others are gone."_

"_Another Babysitter?" the girl interjected. Her eyes met his before locking onto Bernice's. "We can take care of ourselves!"_

_Bernice frowned inwardly. This would complicate matters. She shrugged, "Sure." She considered the girl's rebuke and added in a cold tone, "But let's get one thing straight: I am NOT your babysitter, NOR am I some kind of nanny that your caregivers have hired."_

_She turned to leave, and without a backwards glance, she said, "Well, if you need me, I'll be in the mess hall. Smell's like they've finally cooked up something worthwhile for lunch."_

She tore herself from her reverie and took a quick look at them. Denzel was flicking the corner of a page back and forth. After reprimanding him, she went back to her thoughts. She was glad that the tension between them had gradually subsided as the weeks passed. It wasn't too long ago that she discovered the reason for their apparent hatred for her…

_Contrary to what she would have them believe, she had never let them out of her line of sight. After all, she was one to take her assignments (no matter how informal) seriously. Unknown to anyone, she had overheard their conversation in the garden._

_Marlene and Denzel were sitting in the shade of a huge oak, with their backs towards her. Thus, they hadn't suspected a thing when she edged silently towards them._

"…_It's just not fair." Marlene was saying. "Why can't they just leave us alone? Aerith's returned to the Lifestream, and now, daddy and Tifa are never around anymore." Her voice was laddened with tears._

"_Yeah, neither is Cloud." Her brother added sadly._

_There was a long silence, and Bernice was about to leave when Marlene began to speak._

"_Denzel?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_D-do you think Celest made it out alright?" Her voice was hardly more than a whisper._

"_I don't know. You saw what happened to Midgar…" _

_As stealthily as a ninja, Bernice Talwin slipped away. She had heard enough and had decided then and there that she would allow them some space._

Presently, Bernice set her book down. "I'll be right back. You guys stay here, alright?"

No response.

* * *

In the lab, Shelke was hard at work on her latest gadget with a screw driver in hand. She averted her focus from her prototype when her friend came through the door. "They're getting worse, aren't they?" she said nonchalantly. 

Bernice slumped into a vacant chair. "The nightmares? Yeah, I'm getting the same one more and more frequently now." She quirked her brow.

It often amused Shelke to see how much her friend resembled her mentor. "You look terrible." She replied mater-of-fact. The gun-blader sighed. "Is it ready yet?"

"No," said Shelke shortly.

When the recurring nightmares began, the commissioner worried that Genesis might have somehow gotten into her brain after all. He had immediately given the orders to have them analyzed, just in case. And since it was agreed that they would not, under any circumstance, expose Bernice to mako tanks, the task of fashioning new equipment for that purpose was left to Cid and Shelke.

Since then, Bernice was no longer called to any of the meetings, and neither was she sent on any missions like her friends were. Besides that, whether subconsciously or not, her friends had seemed to become a little more distant and cautious when interacting with her. While she understood their concerns, it still saddened her to think that her friends, the ones she had come to know as her family, had such little faith in her. Although, she would sometimes find herself wondering if Genesis had, in fact, managed to gain control of her without her knowing. _Was their being able to escape just a clever gist of some grander plan of his? It would explain why DG had made no attempts since the attack three months ago. Could he take control of her at any moment? Maybe use her to kill her friends at some critical moment?_

The probabilities had constantly etched with worry and laced with dread.

Shelke seemed to read her mind. "You're stressed out." She said.

Bernice shot her an irritable glare.

The former Tsviet did not seem to notice. "Vincent has faith in you." She continued.

Her eyes softened. "Hmm?"

"That's what he told everyone during the meeting before he left."

"Why?"

"Remember when you came at us like you were going to finish us off?"

Bernice nodded.

"You had Cerberus in your left hand. Vincent knows you can't shoot with your left hand."

Her heart gave a leap of joy. She was relieved that at least one of her comrades still trusted her. "And you?" she asked with a coy smile.

"I wouldn't have said what I did if I didn't," she replied. "Still, everyone will know for sure when the results come out. Just give us a few more days and we can have our first trial."

She nodded in satisfaction. "Thanks, that's all I needed to know. I should be getting back to the kids. Be seeing you."

* * *

Bernice had been astounded to learn that Marlene and Denzel had never attended school. Both of them were great at conversations but when it came to reading and writing… they knew little beyond basics. Thus, she had taken it upon herself to teach them. Both children had complained, but only after she promised to spend as much time teaching them how to fight as she made them read. Marlene had shown a great deal more zeal for learning than Denzel. 

Which was why it didn't surprise Bernice to find him asleep when she returned to the study, but it was odd that Marlene wasn't paying attention to her book. She flicked the pages back and forth absent-mindedly.

"What's wrong, Marlene?" Bernice asked, hoping that she wasn't ill.

"Nothing," she replied off-handedly.

"Hmm?" Bernice looked at her questioningly.

"I just miss Tifa and daddy," she said.

"Oh," she said. "You know, you and Denzel are very lucky to have people like Cloud, Tifa and Barret to care for you and to have someone to miss when they're away."

The little girl shook her head sadly. "They often go away for long periods at a time. They're always doing dangerous things, like killing monsters and stuff. What if they get hurt?" Her eyes moistened.

"They're just trying to make the world a better place, not just for you and Denzel, but for everyone else too. We all are." Bernice replied as she knelt down in front of her. She smiled reassuringly at the nine-year-old, and then added, "It's what heroes do."

As she wiped off a tear, familiar words glistened in the back of Bernice's mind: "This...this is why we kill…Evil unchallenged is evil sanctioned. We destroy evil to stop them from denying the innocent of their lives, and of their freedom."

_Yeah, that's what heroes do._

* * *

_a/n:_

_Right, so here it is. The sequel you've all been waiting for. I hope you liked the first chapter._

_I've decided to base the each chapter on something heroes do, like self-sacrifice and such, so if you guys have any suggestion for the titles…yeah, that's right. REVIEW ME! So go ahead, PUSH THAT BUTTON ON THE LOWER LEFT CORNER! I NEED inspiration!_

_Val ._


	2. Chapter 2

Time: Right after 'Fulfilling Obligations'

Setting: Starts off in the WRO headquarters.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy 7(DUH!). However, the OC and the plot are my own creations. XD _silver lining_…

* * *

Chapter 2

_Fidelity _

'Btzztzz…' A jolt of current surged through the small heap of electronics. It whirled to life, and sent forth a series of nearly inaudible beeps. Two pairs of eyes brightened.

Just then, sparks were emitted and the pungent smell of charred metal and burnt rubber filled the lab.

"Dang!" the pilot yelled. His gloved hand, which had made to swipe the offending hardware off the work table, was quickly pulled back. Instead, it made a grab for his coarse blond hair. He squeezed it hard, willing the tension in his scalp to ease his frustration.

Beside him, his partner swallowed hard. She was, by no means, fazed by his outburst. Despite his usual affability over a glass of beer (or several), his temper was well known throughout the WRO. But she was not afraid of him. Everyone knew she could hold her own in a fight. However, it did vex her because she knew that whenever Cid got angry, solutions took twice as long to find. _Time was of the essence!_

A small frown painted across her face and she sighed. "Cid…"

He roared. Cid Highwind stood up and strode towards a trio of tanks. The mako bubbled, its glow illumining his bloodshot eyes. He and Shelke had spent weeks taxing themselves, poring over the schematics of that accursed piece of hardware. They had forsaken much needed rest to create the machine which would prove their comrade's innocence, and now, it was malfunctioning for the _nth_ time. His blood began to cool as he surveyed to dim acid glow of the mako tanks. "They ain't planning on making it easy for us, are they?" he chided, frustration tailed his voice.

Shelke released the breath she was holding and shook her head solemnly. "We'll make it work. I'm sure if we…"

Again, his anger rose, "Ah…what's the use! Fix it and everyone's gonna hear what they've been dreading to hear; don't fix it and that kid continues to threaten our existence."

"That's not true!" she yelled. Shelke sat back in her chair, taken aback by her own sudden display of emotions. It was…unlike her. However, her steely glare remained trained on Cid. "Bernice is no traitor." She added. Her voice was laddened with emotions once alien to her.

Cid stared hard at the girl. _Sometimes I forget she's older than she looks._ He drained the rage from his visage, replacing it with deep sorrow. To Shelke, it seemed that he'd aged ten years in that one fleeting moment. "Look, missy. Hell be damned coz' I liked that kid too. But evil runs in her blood. She's no good, period."

Anger seethed through her being. She held her tongue, but her fists were clenched, and her knuckles were white with rage. She said to him through gritted teeth, "That remains to be seen." She made a gesture towards the metallic helmet on the work table and continued, "Right now, we've got work to do."

A long silence followed before Cid Highwind sat himself heavily in his seat. "Hand me a screwdriver."

* * *

The mist clung heavily in the air, making it reek of dampness and decay. Beyond the lush canopy of the mangrove trees, the sky was beginning to darken. The ululations of night-creatures awakening from their day-time slumber echoed through the swamp, unimpeded.

Two figures walked the dense undergrowth, well aware of the incoming gloom. While the arrival of darkness brought about respite from the heat and humidity of the swamp, it also heightened the number of chance encounters with the less-than-friendly. Exhausted from their recent undertaking, neither man wanted to stay a second longer than they had to in the hostile environment. They quickened their pace.

However, it soon became apparent that they were not going to make it out of the quagmire this night. Fatigue and hunger gnawed at their senses, causing them to slacken. So with a sigh of resolute, both resigned to make camp.

Vincent Valentine stared deeply into the fire-light. His cup of broth, still warm, lay untouched by a packet of dried sweet meats. This was the first time since he embarked on his mission that he was able to have a moment's peace, to nurse his thoughts. Strangely, after sharing some of them with his apprentice, they no longer caused him pain. Instead, the fonder memories offered him comfort in adversity. With the Reeve's mission accomplished, he turned his attention to Bernice's well being.

The nightmares she was suffering from and the conclusions Reeve and the others drew from them worried him. Their theories were the product of sound reasoning. Yet, for some reason, he did not believe in their deductions. _"She would have killed us when she had the chance if she were under his control."_ That was what he told them during the briefing. He had spent two years observing her, training her and he knew exactly what she was capable off. Nonetheless, the others would not be dissuaded from pursuing their line of thought. He could only hope that this would not lead to foolish actions, at least…not until he returned. _Reeve, please don't do anything stupid._

"Holy!" Barret hollered, breaking his reverie.

In two shakes, he was on his feet, muscles tense and fingers lightly clutching onto Cerberus. Barret held his good hand up and waved it off in exasperation, "Hell, are you trying to give me a heart attack?! Chill, fool! I just spilled broth onto m'gun that's all."

"Humph…" came the reply as the gunslinger returned to his seat.

His phone vibrated, and he fished it out from his pocket. Turning away from the fire, he answered, "Shelke?" The snapping of twigs told him that Barret was shifting his weight on the opposite side of the campfire.

"Vincent, we've done it. Reeve has ordered the test to be conducted tomorrow evening." Shelke said.

"Can you get him to postpone it until some of us returns?" Vincent scowled, he was afraid this would happen.

"No. He was very insistent. Cid wants it done as soon as possible." For a moment, neither spoke. Then Shelke continued, "Vincent, if the results come out positive…"

"…they will not." He retorted.

"But…if they do…What are we…"

He sighed, "I don't know, Shelke…but…no, she can't be under Genesis's control."

"Vincent, there's always the chance that…"

"Then I will handle it personally. Just don't reveal the results before I get back."

He flipped it close and stares sadly at the silver engravements on his phone.

Barret took a chunk off a piece of sweet meat and in-between-chews, said, "You ain't vouching for Talwin, are you?"

"…" He continued looking into the scarlet flames, his visage betraying no emotions.

"Shit, you are!" Barret waved his arms in exasperation and brushed the crumbs off his lips. "Look here, you bloody…" Whatever he wanted to say was loss to the gunslinger as at that moment, the water nearby stirred.

In a flash, Vincent had Cerberus at the ready. His trigger finger tensed against the black metal which would release immense fire-power at his biding.

A horrendous cracking of splintered wood screeched through the damp air. He leapt, narrowly avoiding the tree which had come crashing down upon him. As he alighted near the water's edge, he cast his enhanced eyes around the parameter. _Nothing…there was no one. Then again, it was a challenge, even for one such as he, to be able to discern anything around him on a moon-less night like this._

He made his way gingerly to where the remnants of the campfire flickered faintly against the darkness. "Barret!" He called.

He heard a loud moan. Soon, he found himself beside his comrade.

Barret's gun arm was pinned to the ground. The shattered electronics crackled and sparked under the dark bark. Also, he'd received a small cut above his left eye and his blood glistened under the dim illumination of the campfire.

The gunslinger sighed with relief. Barret's weapon may be useless now, but at least he wouldn't have to carry him all the way back to civilization.

He dug his claw into the metal and began severing the broken weapon. It wasn't long before he got him free and hoisted onto a sitting position.

After rebuilding the fire, he investigated their would-be cause of death. His eyes widened slightly. _The cut between the trunk and its stump was smooth…someone had tried to assassinate them!_

* * *

_The next morning…_

Denzel watched as Bernice gently corrected Marlene's stance. His sister stood with her arms held wide. She had her left knee brought up to the height above her waist. Despite how loose the cotton trousers she wore were, he could see that her right leg was trembling.

Bernice pressed a firm hand onto the girl's back, straightening it slowly so that she would not cause her to loose balance. "Alright, this is great, Marlene. You're doing fine. Just hold on a little longer. And try holding your back straight."

Marlene nodded. Perspiration dripped down the side of her face and her eyes stung from the sweat. She blinked. Her teeth remained gritted with the effort needed to keep her leg from buckling from under her.

Bernice surveyed the nine-year-old once more, making teeny adjustments where necessary. When she was satisfied with her posture, she stood in front of her and held out a cushion before crying, "Good, now kick!"

She did so with a sharp exhale, just as Bernice had showed her earlier on. SMACK Marlene's foot landed squarely on Bernice's left shoulder. Bernice suppressed the urge to wince as her shoulder throbbed with pain. _I gatta remember to find a way to make it up to Tifa for all the times I kicked her…that hurt! _Meanwhile, poor Marlene had lost her balance after missing the cushion and was now lying in an undignified heap on the ground.

Denzel doubled over, laughing. "That was…" He abruptly stopped when he caught the death glares both girls were throwing him.

Bernice smiled reassuringly at Marlene and offered her a hand, which the latter gladly accepted. Once she had her on her feet, Bernice said to Marlene, "Next time, aim for the cushion."

"I'm sorry. You must think I'm terrible." She bowed her head.

Bernice pressed her hands to her hips and smikred, "Nonsense, this sort of thing happened a lot when Tifa was training me. So I guess you're no worse than I was."

"So, do you think I can be as good as Tifa one day?"

Bernice smiled inwardly, having recalled asking Tifa a similar question. "Not without practice," she said finally. The gun-blader turned to the boy sitting on the bench. "Your turn, kid. Show me what you've got."

He slid off his perch and made his way towards the middle of the gymnasium. White rays of sunlight danced merrily along the high windows and illuminated the polished wood floor. The light revealed just how unruly the boy's dirt-brown hair was. Despite having lived in Tifa's Seventh Heaven for nearly four years, he still bore the resemblance of a common street urchin. An unmistakable glint of mischief shone in his eyes.

"Defense, first formation." Bernice barked.

He took in a lung-full of air and performed the stances fluidly, with practiced precision. Bernice smiled approvingly. "Very good, Denzel. Keep this up and you'll be a

* * *

ble to move onto weapons soon."

Just then, her cell-phone rang. She smiled apologetically at the two children and indicated that they should continue their exercises. She then pressed the phone to her ear. "Shelke?"

"Bernice, it's ready. We'll conduct the first trial this evening after dinner. Meet us in the lab at 9p.m."

"Lab…9 p.m. Got it." _So this was it. They would finally be able to tell whether or not she was their ally. Finally, an end to all this…or the beginning of a whole new dilemma which she had, up until now, daren't contemplate.__ "What would happen should the worst occur? Would they—her 'friends', harm her, or help her? Where would their loyalties lie?" _She sighed softly. _"Loyalty...it's what _heroes_ do."_

_a/n:_

_Sorry for the slow updates. I know that so far, things seem a bit dry and boring, but don't worry, they'll be plenty of action in the later chappies. In the meantime, bear in mind that good things come to those who wait. Please have some patience with me._

_So, anyone wanna make a suggestion as to whether or not the results come out positive(bad) or negative(good)? I've worked the story out on both possibilities so it can come out either way (hint, hint). I'll be checking for reviews!_

_To DragonessWarrior: Thank you so much fr the review! Feels really nice to know that someone actually likes my story enough to read its sequel and to add it to their list ._

_To Jake91: Thank you for adding me to your list! _

_  
Oh, and for those who haven't read 'The Return of Heroes' , the climax is in the 16th and 17th chapter. Chapter 18 serves to 'bring the story back to full-circle'._

_Val. _


	3. Chapter 3

Time: 8:50 p.m. the same day.

Setting: Starts off in the WRO headquarters.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy 7(DUH!). However, the OC and the plot are my own creations. XD _silver lining_…

Chapter 3

Trust

Bernice had sent Marlene and Denzel to their room earlier than usual. From the door of the children's room, she made her way to Shelke's lab.

As she subconsciously put one foot in front of the other, something nagged at her. Part of her was relieved that Shelke and Cid had finally been able to finish the machine, yet the other part was afraid.

What if Genesis did somehow manage to reach her mind? If so, would all her friends turn their backs on her? Well, all her questions would be answered today.

In all her pondering, she found herself in front of the double doors of Shelke's lab in no time. She tucked her hands into her pockets. It seemed to calm her just a bit. She took a deep breath and went in.

* * *

Inside, Cid, Shelke, Reeve and Cait Sith were all present. They all stood around a metallic chair. Personally, Bernice thought it rather looked like Shelke's SND machine. There was a metal helm that connected to the chair. The chair was then linked to a monitor. Bernice cringed at the thought of being seated in it. It looked anything but comfortable.

"Bernice," Reeve acknowledged. "Shall we begin?"

Bernice nodded. She looked at Shelke. Shelke offered Bernice a warm and reassuring smile that seemed to say "Don't worry".

Bernice stepped forward and sat in the contraption that Shelke and Cid cooked up. Shelke lowered the helm and slipped it on Bernice's head. Soon, Bernice was engulfed in darkness as the helm was brought down around her eyes.

"Just relax," said Shelke. "Analyzing will begin in three, two, and one."

Bernice was surprised to find her eyes instantly grew heavy and she then knew no more.

_The sound of thunder boomed overhead. Angry storm clouds loomed above the suburbs. In the streets, the pedestrians scurried in every which way, trying to find shelter before the rains came. Women hurried to bring in the laundry and the children were told to come in as the tang of wetness foretelling the coming downpour was already present in the odorous city air._

_By the sidewalk, street hawkers hastily pack up their stalls, pushing them into the sheltered areas in front of the shops where the pedestrians were congregating. But the rains never came. A daunting silence descended upon the city folk as the howling winds suddenly ceased. Hat-wearers clung tighter still to their hats for fear of trickery._

_A few brave souls peered from under their shelter and from behind closed curtains. They saw that in the distance, a foreboding darkness was working its way towards them at a rapid pace. It cascaded through the sky and the angry storm clouds were quickly swallowed by the black menace. The street lamps blinked to life but they offered no warmth against the great chill and cold fear which now descended upon the inhabitants of that community. The children started to cry and several adults could now be seen running away from the scene, screaming, terror-stricken._

_A white wave of energy reverberated through the area from the same direction as the darkness, splitting the buildings and structures in its path. This was followed by another, then another, sending the crowd into a panic frenzy. Soon, everyone was screaming and running in all directions. Those fortunate enough not to be crushed by the falling debris were trampled underfoot. The city, in all its grandeur, was reduced to a crumbling pile of rubble._

_The scene abruptly changed. Scarlet flames erupted in a pitch black environment. A thousand bodies appeared within those flames, writhing in agony as the flames licked eagerly at their sides. The air was filled with the stench of burnt flesh. Their faces were frozen in a silent scream._

_The scene changed once more. A lone warrior stood atop a mountain of fresh corpses with his face plastered in a malicious sneer. His eyes glowed an electric blue and his unruly auburn hair was wet with preparation. His armor and blade were stained, dripping with blood. He arched his back and a maniacal laughter chimed through the air._

* * *

With a jolt, she came awake. Bernice bit back a shout, remembering that Shelke was but three feet away, fast asleep in a chair in front of the monitor. Bernice could hear the beeping of normal brain waves coming from the monitor.

Knowing that she would not fall back asleep no matter how much she tried, she removed the helmet. Careful not to wake Shelke, she quietly slipped out of the laboratory.

Old habits died hard as Bernice made her way towards her room for a cold morning shower. Bernice sighed in frustration. _I'll go see Shelke later about the results._

After changing into a new set of clothes: a long and sleeveless silver coat, a white long-sleeved turtleneck and a pair of silver long pants.

Bernice gathered her hair in a braid, tied high, with a silver length of ribbon. Two jet black bangs framed her face. Reflected in the mirror, she saw _Spirit _and her hand phone. Smiling, she turned around.

Bernice buckled on her holstered gun-blade and pocketed her phone in her belt pocket. Over the months she had been with the WRO, Bernice had slowly upgraded her belt with more and more compartments for materia and ammo.

As she stood outside her bedroom door, she was just about to go to the shooting ranged when she realized that _Spirit _was long overdue for a polish.

Bernice headed towards the weaponry that was located on the second floor of the WRO headquarters. She moved with stealth as she was careful not to wake the dreaming operatives.

As she moved down the hallway leading to the weaponry, light from the pre-dawn gloom filtered through the windows, providing ample light for her to navigate her way. And at the end of the long hallway, Bernice saw a pair of metal doors that slid apart as she walked through.

Bernice wandered through the isles of unused weapons. She smiled to herself as she remembered the time when Tifa had brought her here to pick 'a weapon of choice to master'. Bernice stopped in her tracks as she came to a particular shelf that had an empty slot. She fondly placed her hand on her holster. Bernice turned to face a wooden work table.

For an instant, she thought she saw herself two years ago, admiring a three barreled gun on this exact same table. Her smile broadened as she saw herself jump as Vincent walked out of the dark.

Bernice strode forward and placed her gun-blade on the table. She walked around the table. Behind the table was a shelf filled with different types of weapon maintenance equipment. Bernice grabbed a can of polish and a piece of rag. She pulled a chair and took _Spirit _apart

Bernice started polishing all the different parts of _Spirit. _After finishing, she reassembled her gun-blade. She took this opportunity to restock on her ammo. Bernice looked down on her belt. A gift from Vincent on their second meeting, it was but a plain belt then, but Bernice took the liberty to add six compartments to it: one for her phone, two for ammo and one for each type of materia: fire, ice and thunder.

It was still early but Bernice could no longer wait. She walked towards the laboratory. Inside, she found Shelke hard at work trying to unlock the secrets in which the readings hid.

"Anything?" asked Bernice.

"Still trying but I should be able to get this done soon," replied Shelke, not taking her eyes away from the screen.

Bernice sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" asked Shelke, looking at her friend.

"Nothing, it's just that life is so troubled now and I just wish that I could find a quiet place to think over all my thoughts and troubles, a place away from all these busy activities of the headquarters."

Shelke turned in her chair to face Bernice.

"Listen, it's going to take some time to get answers from the readings, why don't you go ahead to the mess for breakfast and relax."

"Fine, I'll come up later."

* * *

In the mess, all was quiet, save for the cooks preparing the morning meal. Bernice took a plate of sandwiches and sat down to eat. Around an hour later, people started filling in the mess hall.

When her phone told her that it was eight in the morning, she stood up from her seat and made her way to Shelke's lab.

As soon as Bernice left the hall, she could already see many WRO soldiers up and about with their own business and patrolling the corridors.

As she neared Shelke's lab, she could see that the door was already opened and that voices could be heard. She was about to step in when she heard Cid's voice. She stood outside the doorway and listened.

"How are the results?" Cid was saying.

There was a pause as if someone was hesitating, then came Shelke's voice. "The monitor that recorded her brainwaves detected a presence. She did not stay asleep long enough for the machine to identify who or what it was."

"So, it's safe to say that the kid's under Genesis's control," came Cid's voice.

"Not necessarily," Shelke shot back.

"Shelke," Cid said in a semi-pained voice. "There's no other darn it explanation."

There was a pause. "We should tell Reeve," Cid said.

"No, I promised Vincent I wouldn't reveal the results until he came back."

There was another pause. "What do you think Reeve will do when he finds out the results?" asked Shelke.

"He'll probably have her confined until we can come up with some way to erase that bloody bastard from her head."

"And if we can't?"

"We both know what Reeve would do. He won't let anything, or anyone for that matter, jeopardize WRO." Then the laboratory fell silent once more.

Bernice's eyes widened instantly. Speechless, she slumped down to the floor. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. _Reeve wouldn't… would he? No, it can't be true. It just can't! _Bernice held her head in both hands she the thoughts shouted at her. She shook her head in disbelief. Her friends really did turn their backs on her.

"Miss Talwin?" An inquiring voice drew her out of her thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

It was the lieutenant that Bernice led on the mission to Kalm. Bernice cursed her luck when she realized it was he who was supposed to be patrolling this floor today.

"Talwin?" the lab sounded as one.

Bernice immediately scrambled to her feet and fled down the other direction. From behind, she heard Cid and Shelke run out of the lab and Cid shouting orders to the lieutenant.

Not slowing her pace, Bernice took out her gun-blade and inserted her ice materia. Once locked in, she flipped forwards. Still in the air, Bernice aimed her gun-blade and released a shot of ice to the floor, causing her pursuers to slip and fall to the ground. Bernice landed lightly on the floor and resumed running.

_Where to run to? Where? Where? Think!_

"Stop!" A voice sounded from behind. Bernice looked over her shoulder, the lieutenant had somehow jumped the coat of ice and started following her. _I can't let anyone see me being chased._

Swiftly jumping into the air again, she did not flip but twisted her body into a 360 degrees turn. When Bernice's body came to 180 degrees, she pointed her gun-blade and fired a bullet.

The bullet found its mark on the young lieutenant's right leg. He tripped in pain and landed heavily on the floor.

Bernice once again finished her turn and started to run again. Then, she stopped. _I must be out of my mind._

Bernice turned around went back to the lieutenant. She took his hand and placed it on top of the wound. "Keep pressure until someone finds you. Remove the bullet and you should be fine in a few days." Then, Bernice resumed her escape, leaving the lieutenant to stare after her.

Bernice came to a stairway. As she started to move down, she stopped. Her eyes brightened and went up instead. _That's it, I know where to go… for now…_

Bernice climbed two flights of stairs and ran into the first room on her right. The setting was simple. A large room with five shelves that lined the walls, two windows were on the opposite side.

Inside, Bernice scanned the shelves. _Where are you? _She came to a particular shelf. _Ah, there you are._ She grabbed the one and only latest model of the WRO hover broads.

Just then, a piercing sound spilt through the air. The WRO intruder alarm sounded. Then, a voice boomed out of the speakers. "All operatives are ordered to apprehend Commander Bernice Talwin on sight." _Ah, shit!_

Bernice had planned to run up to the roof. Now, the chances of getting there without being seen were close to zero and Bernice didn't feel like hurting anymore friends. The building would be crawling with agents trying to catch her.

Bernice turned abruptly as she heard scrambling footsteps outside. Five WRO soldiers burst into the room and aimed their guns at Bernice. All of which Bernice knew well and counted as friends during her two and a half years at the headquarters.

"Miss Talwin, please come quietly and we will not hurt you."

Bernice blinked in surprise. With her training with Tifa and the others, her skill surpassed all the operatives here. To be able to hurt her was very unlikely. Bernice shook these thoughts from her head. _Aren't I in the humble department today…_

"Put the hover board on the ground and come quietly."

_Oh, great, how do I get out of this one? _Seeing no other choice, Bernice set the hover broad on the floor.

Bernice considered turning herself in, or at least letting the WRO soldiers apprehend her. She had nowhere to run after all.

"Good, now put your weapon beside the hover broad."

Bernice's eyes instantly narrowed. Her knuckles went white as her grip on _Spirit's _handle tightened. Reluctantly, she slowly bent down, all the time under the watchful eyes of the WRO soldiers.

They all stood at least twenty feet away. A surprise attack would be futile. The tip of _Spirit's _blade touched the ground. Using _Spirit _as a support, Bernice jumped off the ground and landed on the hover board. A quick step on the pedal and Bernice shot through a window behind her like a bullet.

Debris and glass flew in every which way. WRO soldiers were forced to cover their eyes at the sudden course of action.

A WRO soldier took out his communicator to report while the other four rushed to the shelves, each grabbing a board of their own and followed through the window after Bernice.

………

Bernice looked over her shoulder. As expected, the operatives were still following her. But no matter, they were in her territory now.

Bernice flipped several times in the air as she dodged the bullets coming from behind. Bernice did not once fire at her pursuers, mostly because she knew that she would need to save her bullets.

Thanks to the enhanced accelerations and speed of the latest model of WRO hover broads, they were soon out of sight as Bernice sped towards her unknown destination.

* * *

In a mako lit room, a lone figure sat upon a make-shift throne, absently gazing into the palm of his hand, his auburn hair unable the hide the power hunger in his eyes.

In his palm, a screen of light featured a young burnet on a hover board. "No matter where you run, I will find you. Each mile you travel puts you ever so much closer to me."

* * *

(So, you want to read more? Or should I stop here? Well, of course you want to read more… right?)

Two men slept at an inn on the outskirts of the swamp they had explored. They had dealt with their assassins earlier and now it left them tired and weary. It was probably the only reason that they weren't already at the headquarters. A low ringing pierced through the air and Vincent Valentine instantly came awake.

"Shelke?" Vincent said as he flipped open his phone.

"Vincent, she fled."

"Bernice? Why?"

"She found out about the results."

"And they were…"

"The system detected a presence but she did not remain asleep long enough to identify who or what it was. The others are totally convinced that it's Genesis."

"Do you know where she went?"

"I implanted a tracking devise in her cell phone before Tifa gave it to her. But only I knew about it. I'll upload the information for you now, are you going to go find her?"

"I have to, it's what heroes-" _and friends _"-do."

* * *

A/n:

Okay, so first off: yea, I'm alive, sorry for the slow updates. (I hope you'll all forgive me! . )

So, this is the third chapter to this story, I hope you all liked it. I will accept all flames about why I tried to kill and capture my own OC pauses wait, I encourage it, bring it on!

And lastly, for all of you who have watched the movie 'Silver Hawk' starred by Michelle Yeo, PLZ don't sue me, I know I subconsciously dressed her up like the Silver Hawk, please forgive me! Note that I think that this will be Bernice's permanent attire from now on, unless someone wants to suggest something else. I'm getting tired of thinking up what colors Bernice is going to where for the day.

And so, stay tuned to find out what happens in our later chapters. Where questions like 'What will happen to Bernice?' or 'Will Genesis ever get over his obsession to capture his daughter?' or 'Who will catch Bernice first?' Will it be the WRO, Genesis, or Vincent Valentine?' will all be answered.

Until then, that's what heroes do!

Disappears out the door and 2 seconds later, returns Oh, and don't forget to review!

Val.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Faith**

Bernice sat on the banks of the waters. Her right hand rested lightly upon her left knee that was pulled up beneath her chin. Her left hand kept her torso upright. Spirit rested in her holster.

The WRO hover board, which had been the key to her escape, lay on the grass beside her. It was close enough should she need to make a quick getaway.

It was well late into the night but her surroundings glowed with a peaceful nimbus. Bernice had read and heard stories of this place but hadn't really the chance the visit it before. Under the current circumstances, it was a painful visit that wrenched at her heart.

Her eyes were partially closed and her gaze was down cast as she sat in silent thought. She had longed for a place think over her thoughts since her dreams had begun. This was the best place, the place of which the people she had once counted as her family called the Ancient's Forest.

Bernice thought of many things. First of which that confounded her most was what her dreams meant. Was she really under the enemy's control? She had debated with herself on this fact. And even if this was so, she was confident that her friends would do everything in their power to comfort her and help her remedy her problem. That is, until two days ago.

The conversation Bernice had overheard echoed in her head. She couldn't believe her ears. _Shelke? How—? Why—? _As her memories pulled at her, she mutely wondered if Vincent and the others and learnt about the results yet? _Almost definitely, knowing Shelke…_

A ringing sound drew her out of her pondering. She took out her phone and took a peek at the screen. _Cloud… the sixth time, I believe…_She ignored it and after awhile, the stillness of the atmosphere returned. _I really can't risk them tracing me… Cloud: six, Tifa: eight, Barret: three, Cid: three, Yuffie: five, Shelke: two… _With a note of regret in her voice, she said under her breath, "Vincent: none…" With a faint smile of amusement, she remembered the many SMS' that flooded her inbox that they had sent.

Bernice sighed as she resumed her musing. Bernice knew that after her last stunt that she pulled, she would be on the WRO's top priority list. Not to mention that Genesis was still out there. _Hmm…so the game of cats and mouse begins. I wonder which cat is more desperate._

Bernice, of course, had not forgotten that she was not up against ordinary agents of WRO and Genesis, but eight of Gaia's finest heroes were out searching for her. She might have to move to a different location soon. But then, where would she go? She had found the Ancient's Forest totally by chance. And something was telling her to stay.

Vincent and the others had always told her not to ignore her feelings. Thinking of Vincent made Bernice greatly wish that her mentor was at her side this very moment, maybe he could shine some light on this hopeless situation.

* * *

Vincent held Cerberus lightly in his gun arm. He flipped open his phone. The miniscule green dot blinked on the mini-map, confirming his target's location. He quickly pocketed it and made his way to his destination. He walked, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, making as little noise as Vincently possible.

After what appeared to be an endless maze of glowing trees, he saw a figure in white sitting beside the water. Vincent's eyes widen a little when he saw his apprentice sitting in the exact position he was always did when he visited Lucrecia. Her white outfit was only lightly touched with dirt and her hair was slightly messy from the long flight. Her hover board lay beside her.

Vincent approached. There was no reaction from the figure, she seemed to be in a trance. Her back was towards him and her face was hidden as she looked towards the ground.

Vincent continued to move forwards until he was at least five feet from Bernice. "You didn't hear me? I'm disappointed," he said, the tone of genuine dissatisfaction.

For a moment more, nothing happened. Then, Bernice slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes. She carried on looking forward as she answered. "No, Mister Valentine, I heard you."

"It's Vincent," he replied, somewhat irked. His tone shifted to that of mild perplexity. "You made no move to protect yourself."

"Only because you aren't here to fight me."

Vincent was taken aback at the last comment. "Cerberus is in my hand," he countered.

Bernice shrugged in an offhanded manner. "Where else would it be? Lesson one: In your hand or in your holster. Besides, if you had come here by Reeve's orders, you would be accompanied by at least a dozen WRO soldiers."

"You are observant," Vincent noted with a hint of pride in his voice.

Smiling, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, she said, "I learnt from the best."

Bernice stood up as Vincent came to stand beside her. "Wouldn't Reeve be tickled pink when he finds out that you're ignoring his orders to apprehend me?" Bernice said with an amused tone.

"Reeve is a friend I help out from time to time, I DON'T work for him."

"Hmm…"

"How did you find this forest?"

A smile played at the edge of her lips. "Easy, I picked a direction and I flew straight. Who knew it would lead me to this place."

Again there was silence. Then, something stuck Bernice. She looked up at her tutor of firearms. "How did you find me? I'm pretty sure that I took every precaution to stay hidden."

Seeing the look on Vincent's face, it suddenly hit Bernice. She looked onward as she said with a sigh, "Shelke, she bugged my phone, didn't she? Do the others know?"

"Yes, before it was even given to you. Just in case. And no, they don't."

"Do they really think I'm under his control?"

Vincent took a while to consider her question. At last, he said, "I cannot answer for them, but—"

"But?"

"But I do know they want to help you."

Bernice snorted. "Yeah, they want to 'help' me alright, which is why their trying their very best to capture me and hold me in a cell."

"Don't discount them too fast. I came here to help you as well, but in a different manner. I will help you clear your name."

Bernice looked up at her mentor once again. "How?"

"Shelke said that the machine detected a presence, but you did not remain asleep long enough for it to identify the presence. We have to find out who or what's in your mind." He paused, and then added, "Shelke thinks you're clear of Genesis."

Vincent tried to read his student but whatever she was feeling was well hidden.

* * *

A disturbance in the nearby bushes caught their attention. A red light shot through the undergrowth. In a flash, student and mentor jumped up into the air to evade the attack and landed on the other side of the river in their fighting stances with their weapons at the ready.

In that instant, Bernice faltered. The show of weakness, though miniscule, was not lost to Vincent. He swore under his breath. _Two days…she hasn't eaten for two days and I didn't think to bring her any rations?! I'm such an idiot._

"So we meet again." A voice said from within the depths of the woods.

Vincent and Bernice identified their attackers before they had even showed themselves: The Tsviets. Their eyes narrowed as they came into the clearing. Both knew, they stood outnumbered and even with Vincent and Bernice's superior training, if the Tsviets all came at once, they would overwhelmed.

Genesis and the Tsviets all had unsheathed their weapons as well. The four of them spread out in front of the two. There was a hint of surprise on their faces but as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Apparently, they hadn't expected Vincent to be here.

Genesis eyed Vincent, and then shifted his gaze to his daughter. "Last chance, daughter. Join me in my reign on this pathetic world. Together, we can make it anew. Come, the world awaits us."

Bernice drew herself up and steeled her voice. "No!" she shouted to the opposite shores.

Genesis didn't seem to show any reaction to his daughter's response. "You would still say no? Even after the WRO have turned their backs on you?"

The questions hung in the air. Vincent side glanced at Bernice. Her face appeared less sure than before. For a split second, Vincent worried. Then, he shook off the feeling. The benefit of the doubt was what he owed her.

After that, Bernice's expression hardened. Her tone was as sharp as daggers when she uttered something barely more than a whisper. "Yes."

Genesis' eyes grew hateful and filled with rage as he raised his katana. "Then you shall die with them."

The Tsviets advanced on the two gun-slingers. Suddenly, the air was filled with the sounds scurrying footsteps and steady beatings of chopper blades.

The warriors in the clearing looked around to see that they were surrounded by WRO soldiers. Even Vincent couldn't hide his astonishment. They should have heard the WRO at least five minutes before they arrived.

Behind Genesis and the Tsviets, Cloud and the gang stood ready for combat. They also stared in wide eyed amazement. "Vincent?"

Vincent nodded. If he was saying 'Hi' or just confirming that their eyes hadn't been deceiving them, Bernice couldn't tell.

Bernice saw that she and Vincent weren't the only ones irritated by the presence of the WRO, Genesis and the Tsviets cast vile glimpses around.

"Enough!" Genesis shouted, his patients obviously long spent. He pointed to Bernice and Vincent. "Finish them!"

They had not even gained a foot when suddenly, the water in front of them bubbled. Everyone let their weapon drop a bit as they all focused on the surface of the waters. There was a mild rumbling sound that gradually grew louder and louder. Then, all of a sudden, the water stood up to form a tidal wave!

The wave wavered as it stood ten feet above those below, and then to everyone's astonishment, came crashing down on Bernice and Vincent.

Vincent pulled his cloak protectively around the two of them and the wall of water bore down upon them like a lion upon its prey. Despite the desperate efforts of both master and apprentice to grab hold of something, the waters pulled them into its dark and cold depths.

* * *

Vincent opened his eyes.

He looked up to where the light of the stars and moon filtered through the waves. His mind was a blank, then, he remembered. His eyes widened as he looked around for Bernice. His apprentice was unconscious by his side, but sinking much rapidly than he.

Using his clawed hand, he carefully grabbed her wrist as he looked around for a place to go. To go up would be like stepping into the jaws of the crocodile.

Suddenly, the current changed its peaceful course and continued to sweep Vincent and Bernice further into its depths.

* * *

(Back up on the surface)

…_. Lol, I'm not going to write anything here, why don't you let your imagination run wild a bit. You know, with Genesis and WRO gathered in one place (hint, hint). ; )_

* * *

Vincent's grip on Bernice never loosened as the current swept them down to the bottom. After twisting and turning, Vincent finally saw where they were headed: an underwater cave.

Vincent braced himself when he saw that even as they neared the mouth of the cove, they weren't loosing any speed. The duo sped past the opening of the cave and both of them were literally shot out of the water like a cork out of a wine bottle. Both landed in an undignified heap after ricocheting off the stone floor twice.

They lay spluttering, coughing and gasping for air. Before anything could be said, Bernice let out a gasp of pain as a ball of light emerge from her chest. Vincent was just as surprised as Bernice when they saw the ball of white light slowly grew bigger and brighter until they had to shield their eyes from the light that radiated before them.

After a while, it gradually dimmed to reveal a sight neither of them were prepared to see: a young woman with long brown hair. She smiled, and then said, "Hello, Vincent."

Bernice looked at her mentor and friend. She could see that Vincent had been stunned speechless. After a moment's recovery, Vincent spoke the name of a woman he thought long dead.

"…?"

* * *

_a/n:_

_Yay, so after so many weeks, chappy four is up. I hope you all liked it. I know it's short, but bear with me; I could only come up with so many words before I ended it at the checkpoint I picked out. ; )_

_What? You guys weren't expecting me to actually type out the name of the girl did you? Course not, if I did, I wouldn't be leaving it at a cliffhanger now, would I?_

_So, next chapter, you guys will finally find out who's REALLY the one messing with our young heroine's head, but I'm sure all you smart people have already figured it out._

_Okay, so until then, that's what our heroes do!_

_Val._


	5. Chapter 5

Time: 12 seconds after Chapter 4

Setting: In a cave… somewhere, under the Forgotten Capital

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy 7(DUH!). However, the OC and the plot are my own creations. XD _silver lining_…

**Chapter 5**

**Acceptance**

_Now, you all might be wondering why this chapter is 12 seconds later. This is because Vincent spent the 12 seconds saying, "A… A… A…")_

The woman pouted slightly and arms crossed, said, "Aw… Come on, Vincent. It really hasn't been that long a time, you can't have forgotten me already… Come on, say it: Ae-ri-s."

Vincent stopped his stammering. It wasn't like him to stammer, even if in the presence of the _seemingly _dead. At the corner of his sight, he saw Bernice shiver and in a single swift movement, took off his cloak and placed it around her shoulders. The girl lifted her face and smiled gratefully.

"VINCENT!" Aeris nearly shrieked in impatience.

Bernice let out a tiny chuckle just as Vincent turned to face Aeris again as if just noticing her existence. "Oh, hi Aeris."

Aeris's jaw dropped like a rock. "Is that the thanks I get for saving you from Genesis's _and _the WRO's clutches?" Immediately, her face fell into a mock pout.

Vincent fixed her with his signature glare. "No, that's the thanks you get for ricocheting me and Bernice off the stone floor."

Aeris smiled sheepishly. "Sorry bout that." She turned to Bernice. "Hello Bernice."

"Aeris, I've heard much about you."

Aeris laughed. Her full and musical laughter echoed off the cavern walls, filling the entirety of the cave they were in. "I'm sure you have."

Bernice's gaze froze. "Tell me then, was it you that Shelke's machines detected?"

Aeris's laughter ended instantly. She gave a nod. "Yes, it was."

"And the reason I'm being hunted by both sides," Bernice continued.

Blushing slightly, Aeris gave another nod.

"And the reason for my reoccurring dreams that keep me awake every night."

Unable to hold in anymore, Aeris took a bent over and blurted, "I'm sorry."

Both gunmen were slightly shocked by the sudden action. "Aeris," Vincent said. "I think you have a bit of explaining to do."

"Yes, I do." She paused. "Hmm… where to start?" she mused out loud.

"The beginning," Vincent supplied.

"Okay, I suppose it would be appropriate to start from when I started to possess Miss Talwin here," Aeris said. She looked at Bernice. "I'm sure you remember your first encounter with Genesis: the time when he tried to take over you."

Bernice nodded yes and Aeris continued, "It was I that intercepted his powers." She smiled warmly. "Though you did make it easier when you tried to deflect if yourself, but if I didn't help you, you would be standing on Genesis's right hand side right now."

Bernice shuddered at the thought. "And the dream I keep having is…"

"A warning," Aeris finished her sentence for her. "If the heroes of Gaia were to fail in this war that is what would happen. The world would be waist deep in the blood of innocents and Gaia would be drenched in agony and suffering until her end."

"But how do I fit into any of this? Gaia already has eight heroes, she doesn't need me," Bernice questioned.

"Genesis, as he has said, is your father. Only you can defeat him completely, you are the only one that can stop this war, _you _are the counterbalance."

Bernice felt her shoulders slack suddenly at the weight of the burden Aeris had placed on her. _Only me…_

"But you shouldn't despair, Gaia sent her warriors to help you, train you." She motioned to Vincent. She turned back to Bernice. "But they can only do so much. They cannot help you in the final conflict. You must depend on your skill at the blade, the trueness of your aim and your quickness of wit." She winked at the last.

"You must hasten, not much time is left before Genesis will release his true force upon Gaia.

"I will no longer reside within you, Bernice." Aeris added.

Bernice looked up at the young women, and quite shock at that. She suddenly felt alone even with Aries's reassuring words. "But why?"

"Because my dear, there is no longer a need to. You can take it from here, young Talwin," Aries said with another wink.

"So, any questions?"

"Aeris…" Vincent said.

"Yes?"

"Are you alive? I mean, what am I going to tell the others?"

Aeris looked wide eyed at the cloak-less gun-slinger. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she said. "Vincent, you spoke more than five words in one sentence!"

Vincent shifted his weight uncomfortably as this comment brought a rich laughter from Bernice.

"I'm sorry Vincent. To answer your first question: It's… complicated. Truth to tell, I, myself, am not sure how all this comes together, but you," she pointed to Bernice. "Must save the Gaia, and you," she pointed to Vincent. "And the others must help her if we even have an ounce of a chance of winning."

"As for your second question," Aeris continued. "No, you can't tell Cloud. You can't tell any of them. None of them can know. It would only make matters more… difficult."

Aeris nodded. "Now, I have to put you two up on the surface before the others get too worried. So, uh, do you guys want to take the underground tunnel—" she jerked her thumb behind her to a dark passage. "—or do you guys want to take the wet way up again." Vincent and Bernice exchanged a quick glance as Aeris pointed to the water pool of which they erupted from. It might have been just Bernice hallucinating, but she could have sworn the surface of the water was bubbling. "The second choice would be faster."

Aeris was stunned when she saw that Vincent and Bernice had already started to walk the dark passage before she had even finished her last sentence. She indulged herself in a silent giggle before dimming into nothingness.

* * *

"How do you feel?"

"Hm?" Bernice looked up at her mentor as he ended the silence. "About what?"

"All that is happening."

Bernice turned her gaze forwards, towards the gloomy darkness ahead. "I don't know." Her gaze fell once more on Vincent and smiled. "Actually, I'm still trying to piece it all together in my head."

Vincent hesitated. After awhile, he said, "No matter what, you know that you're not facing all this alone."

"I know."

* * *

_a/n:_

_Okay, so chappy 5 is finally up. On behalf of the Val team (me and my sister) I'd like to apologize for the painfully slow updates._

_So lately has been really busy for us, the New Year and all and I know that this chapter is incredibly short, forgive me! I could only come up with so many things for Aeris to explain lol._

_Oh, and one more thing that I'd like to say before I sign off. About Aeris, I think her character would be a bit if not a lot OC. Forgive us for this one too, neither of us has ever really played Final Fantasy 7. And the only bit of detail we got about her was from the very short clips from Advent Children oO I know, amazing! So what did we decide to do? We crossed her with High Summoner Yuna and an everyday oracle._

_So signing off and until next time, That's what heroes do!_

_Val._


	6. Chapter 6

Time: a few moments after Chapter 5

Setting: In a cave… somewhere, under the Forgotten Capital

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy 7(DUH!). However, the OC and the plot are my own creations. XD _silver lining_…

* * *

Chapter 6

Busted

Both Bernice and Vincent continued to walk in silence through the dank underground passage. No emotions beset their faces as both immersed themselves in deep thought. The steady sound dripping water could be heard reverberating off the walls as nature continued to work hard in forming the stalagmites and stalactites. Here and there, roots of the ancient wood above had found their way into the passage by means of the cracks in the walls and ceilings made after millions of years worth of erosion. These cast and eerie glow which provided sufficient light for the now bedraggled travelers.

A gust of wind brought cold to the damp, making Bernice cling even more tightly to the huge red cloak which still enfolded her shivering form as she picked her way as carefully as possible through the slippery moss-laden floor. Being wet, the cloak brought little warmth, but the low temperatures had brought gnawing hunger to her consciousness. She shook the thought away; this was, by no means a suitable time to be thinking about food. _Just how was she going to handle the burden which had been thrusted upon her? And what of the WRO and Tifa and the others? How was she going to face them later on? There was no way she could take on Genesis and all his goons with just Vincent to aid her. _She sighed inwardly, _Meeting them would be inevitable. And should she be able to persuade them to help her, she would still be putting the people she cared about in harm's way. And for what? To kill her own father? It had been easy enough to act insolently towards him before to save her friends. After all, there was no proof that what he had claimed was indeed the truth. But now…now that Aerith had confirmed it…_AH-CHOO!!! She let out a sudden sneeze, and as she did so, she lost her footing and ended up in a messy red heap on the ground.

Beside her, Vincent had watched his apprentice as they traversed the tunnel. The damp smell did not bother him. At least this would be better than being thrown half-drowned into a skirmish. He studied her from the corner of his eyes. Drenched, both of them definitely looked worst for wear. And the young woman who walked a few paces in front of him was, at this time, in no condition to face their arch-foe. _The counter-balance, Aerith had called her…What on earth was she thinking, sending a rookie on such a mission. Well, at least she's been well-trained._

Fast reflexes brought him quickly to Bernice's side as her torso connected with the grimy cave floor. "You alright?" He asked as he held her in a sitting position with his left arm. "Uh…" was all she could manage before crimson eyes narrowed and gloved hand went to her forehead.

He sighed and said, "You've got a fever."

"It's fine. I'll manage." To back that statement, Bernice struggled to her feet. She swayed a little, before sinking back down onto her knees, with her head cradled in her right palm.

"Sure you will," her mentor supplied. He placed his gloved hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Sighing lightly, he asked, "How much do you trust me?"

Momentarily stunned by her mentor's sudden frankness, all caution was thrown into the wind and she answered, "More than I trust anyone else."

"Good." He said. The gloved hand went swiftly to apply pressure on her neck and Bernice's body went limp. Gently, he picked her up and resumed the trek towards the exit.

* * *

Some time later, Bernice awoke in the gloom. A dull pain rebounded continuously off the walls of her cranium, causing her to make an inaudible moan. Her head swam while her senses gradually picked up the uncomfortable warmth which seemed to choke her upper torso. The blanket cocooning her felt unbearably wet.

Her hand went involuntarily to her forehead and found a coarse, wet cloth. Puzzled, she held the lukewarm rag in view. Then, it all came back to her, flooding her mind, pushing away the cloudiness: the visions, running away from headquarters, the cave, Aerith, her mission, Vincent…She sat up suddenly at the last, an action she regretted immediately. Disorientation overwhelmed her, sending her upper torso crashing down onto what she hoped was a soft mattress.

She heard the sound of quick footsteps, and found her back supported by a strong arm. Looking up, she found herself staring into a face which caused her both relief and astonishment.

"C-Cloud?!" She croaked.

"Whoa, easy there, princess. Caused us quite a fuss back there," He said with a gentleness which made the cheeky grin on his face seem totally out of place.

"Wha-" She started to say.

"Get some rest, Tifa's just managed to convince Vince to do the same…You'd think he'd have gone and done that right after she pummeled him up for letting you get sick." His visage was one of mild amusement.

"Sick? Tifa? Where…?" A distant pounding in her head amplified her confusion.

A soft greenish glow erupted in front of her. Her tutor in swordsmanship had produced a cure materia and with his free hand he invoked its curative powers. He then laid the young woman's sleeping form back onto the bunk and took off towards the cockpit, where everyone else waited.

* * *

As he walked the corridors of the Sierra, his mind went over recent events.

_The gang had retreated to a secluded place of the woods. Evading both the Tsviets and the WRO had been no small feat, but it was only the start of their troubles. They'd just witnessed what looked like an exchange interrupted due to two of their friends get sucked up by a voluminous column of water. Here was where they stood: both their target and teammate had vanished (and probably swimming with the fishes), the enemy got away (though they did manage to damage them significantly before they did), their alliance with the organization they'd been working with was in question and the team was exhausted. Yup, everything was absolutely…peachy._

_He surveyed his motley crew. In their own corner, Yuffie and Cid were having yet another 'colorful' verbal showdown. Red lay licking his wounds. Bits of Cait Sith lay in random heaps all over the clearing and Tifa sat solemnly on the sidelines, staring blankly into the space before her. His gaze lingered on his childhood friend. It was tough watching such a loving soul suffer. And to his amusement, he found himself thinking how hot she looked._

_He shook his head, clearing it before any fantasies could fully develop. He was their leader after all, it would be improper to get 'too friendly' with any of his band. Swiftly, he looked elsewhere just as Tifa, having broken out of her reverie, dropped her gaze upon him. He felt the blood rush to fill his cheeks. Did she notice that he was staring at her? He certainly hoped not. Mentally, he slapped himself. There were more pressing issues to take care of at present. He would find time to reprimand himself for this lack of discipline later on._

_Right now, he had to decide. What was their itinerary? Would they go searching for their missing friends, even though the odds of their survival seemed bleak? Would they continue to serve Reeve in the WRO, now that he had considered Bernice a fugitive? Although they had destroyed Cait Sith to buy themselves some time to make their choice, they had little time. The situation was once again critical and despite himself, he let out an exasperated sigh._

_Just then, the bushes by the nearby cliff-side moved. Individual activities were abruptly dropped as all members of the gang poised themselves for battle. Several moments of tense silence fell among them as they awaited the intruder, daring whatever threat to rear its ugly head at them so they could take it down as swiftly as they had always done._

_To their utmost relief, the bushes parted to reveal a tall gunman carrying a bundle of wet rags._

"_Vincent!" exclaimed the Wutaian ninja who seemed always the first to recover from shock._

_The gunman grunted in reply and set the bundle down carefully. As he straightened, he said matter-of-factly, "We're not going back to Reeve."_

_As soon as they realized what (or rather who) the bundle was, both Tifa and Yuffie had rushed to Bernice's side._

"_Vinny, what happened to you guys?" Yuffie asked, concerned."She's running a fever high enough to cook an egg!" _

_Tifa said nothing, but the look on her face demanded an explanation._

_Sensing trouble, Cloud took Vincent aside. "You've looked better, old friend."_

"_I'm alright. It's her you'll need to worry about," seeing the worry etching across his comrade's face, he quickly added, "She's clean. Genesis hasn't any control over her."_

_Cloud nodded. To Cid, he said, "Get your airship ready, we'll have to take care of our young run-away first."_

* * *

The double doors slid open to admit the bedraggled young swordsman. He managed only a few steps before getting tackled to the ground.

"So how is she?" Yuffie's voice rang in his ear.

He shoved the small form off, and after swallowing his annoyance he replied, "Sound asleep."

"That's good to know," Tifa said, taking no pains to hide her relief. "And her fever?"

"The cure materia should keep her temperature down for a while. Did you get Vince to talk?"

The brunet shook her head, "It's nothing we don't already know of. When I asked, he just said that they got sucked into some kind of underground cave. While they were looking for a way out, he realized that Bernice had a fever, so he lent her his cloak, made her pass out and carried her until he found us."

"That column of water couldn't have appeared randomly. Something happened to them down there." Cloud mused.

"Yeah, well whatever it is staying between them until we can get Bernice to explain. Vincent was never one to share anyways."

"I can't believe Vince is keeping stuff from us at a time like this," Cid's voice was etched with irritation.

"Well, what I can't believe is he actually took his cloak off for her and carried her. He'd never have done that for us before." Yuffie screwed her face in a mock pout.

"You sound jealous," chided Nanaki.

"Am not!" Yuffie defended. "All I'm saying is that Vinny seems different now. Like he's actually being…I don't know…human. And you've been spending too much time with that robot, you big bully."

Cloud cleared his throat and said, "In any case, plans can't be made until we know what's going on. And that'll have to wait until Vince and Bernice are ready to share their little adventure with us. So I guess we should turn in. We may need it now that we've got both the WRO and Genesis' hell hoard on our backs."

* * *

In the corner of a dark room, a lone gunman leaned heavily against the wall. Skillfully, he kept the majority of his body hidden behind a curtain and the moonlight away from the metallic accessories. His crimson eyes stayed firmly fixed upon the sleeping form of his young apprentice.

The event which took place in the forest of ancients weighed heavily on his thoughts. He frowned as he recalled the rather unpleasant trip that they had to go through. It had only been by chance that he found the paths which lead them out of the cave. Also, he had been lucky enough to find Cloud and the others. Albeit, he was worried that he would have had to fight them. Still, he needed assistance, as he had neglected to keep any curatives or medicines on his person. Bernice's sudden ailment would have been nothing short of an inconvenience. However, Tifa's interrogation showed that the gang wasn't going to take his simplified version of what had happened as it was. He and his apprentice would have to work out what to say and what not to say in front of them in the near future. Besides, he doubted that they could defeat Genesis on their own. The whole scenario seemed ironic. Why was it that there could never be trust among people whenever it was needed most?

Behind his cowl, his visage softened. He was glad that she was now safe in the company of those who, despite having little trust or faith at the moment, cared…for now, at least. He slunk quietly back into the shadows and remained in deep contemplation.

* * *

Crimson eyes snapped open to greet the first rays of the sun. Outside, the pinkish-gold tinted clouds heralded the start of a brand new day. _And a dawn of new troubles_, thought Vincent darkly.

One the bed, Bernice stirred. In an instant, he was beside her. "Feeling better?" He asked out of genuine concern.

"Much," She chirped.

"Humph," came the reply of an unconvinced mentor. "Your voice tells me otherwise."

"There's no pulling any wool over your eyes." She chided. And as she noticed the familiar hum of a powerful engine she asked, "We're flying?"

He nodded, "We're aboard the Sierra—Cid's ship."

"But…the WRO…Reeve…we're not…"

"Calm down," he laid a stiff hand on her shoulder. "We're not with the WRO anymore. Although, it remains to be seen whether Cloud and the others will accept us."

"So, what now?"

"Now, we focus on getting you on your feet and back in fighting form. And we'll have to convince them to aid us without revealing who we met in the cave."

"And then what?"

"And then we destroy our enemy for good."

Her expression grew solemn. He sighed.

"We'll worry about that later. First, let's get some food into your system. I'll be back after I've talked with Cloud."

Before she could object, he was out the door.

* * *

It wasn't long before the door slid open once more. Tifa came in holding a tray of food.

"Well, hello there. Nice to see that you're awake. We were all worried when you took off."

"H'lo Tifa. Sorry to have caused such a fuss. But I had no other choice. I was glad to have had Vincent's trust when he found me though."

"Yes, well he's much more a friend to everyone than he lets on. Between you and me, he was here all night, watching over you. That man is as stubborn as a mule. He needs to realize that even he needs to sleep."

"That's…not…well, I doubt he's let me out of his sight much since I arrived." She thought aloud. "Cloud said you 'pummeled' him last night."

"Uh, well, I guess I overreacted a little when he showed up completely drenched with you bundled up in his cloak. Enough of that for now. We can talk later. Here, eat." She handed her the tray of food.

Tifa gave her a once over as she ate before leaving with the cabin with the empty food tray.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Engine room, a young blonde paced the cat walk while his stoic friend leaned on the wall in a quiet corner. Crimson eyes traced the blonde's movements, keeping him locked in an indifferent stare.

The blonde ceased his pacing and regarded his long-time comrade carefully. Swallowing his irritation, he asked, "You're really not going to tell us anything, are you? You just expect everyone to back you up on an insane expedition with nothing but your word to assure us that that is the best course of action?"

He shook his head, saying, "Cloud, we gave our word. No one save Bernice and I can know what transpired in the underwater caverns. And no, you'll not just have my word to assure that this is the best course of action, you'll have Bernice's as well."

Cloud threw his hands up in exasperation. "We're supposed to be a team. We can't just go risking everyone's life for a whim."

Without saying anything, Vincent kept his eyes locked on Cloud's. His crimson eyes spoke calmly of the urgency of the situation and of the importance of gaining the gang's support. But they neither pleaded nor demanded.

Finally, the young leader sighed in defeat. "Alright," he said, "let's hear your plan."

Upon hearing his words, an inkling of joy crept into those serious red eyes and Vincent grinned inwardly.

"Just one more thing," Cloud added, "I will hear what Bernice has to say about all this. It's only fair that we get to hear it from her."

The gunman gave a curt nod, "Fair enough."

* * *

_Greetings readers. First let me apologize for the delay in my updates, my internet has been screwy ever since that annoying Tsunami incident._

_I know this particular chappy, long that it may be is a lil dry. But then, stories tend to get artificial when there's too much fireworks, don't you agree? I will try to write more as soon as I can, but I have to admit, I am a little bit stuck. And it is quite difficult when the idea no longer fills your entire being so bear with me._

_Thanks for the reviews, DragonessWarrior. If you're still with me, I'd like to personally thank you for your patience, it means the world to me. If you have msn or windows live, perhaps we could chat sometimes. The same goes for all the readers who have been following my stories. By the way, regarding the title of this chapter...yeah, heroes do get 'busted'...a lot. Just pay attention to cartoons and you'll see what I mean. _

_In the mean time, that's What heroes do!  
_

_Sincerely,_

_Val._


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